PERAK JKDM FOILS ATTEMPT TO SMUGGLE DRIED FOOD PRODUCTS FROM CHINA

IPOH, Nov 29 (Bernama) -- The Perak branch of the Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM) foiled an attempt to smuggle dried food products, with an estimated value of RM73,581.83, from China at the Ipoh Cargo Terminal on Nov 4.

Its director, Datuk Abdul Ghafar Mohamad said the Perak JKDM's Import Export Branch seized a container believed to be carrying 62 types of dried foodstuff at about 11 am.

"The importer only declared five types of goods, namely tea bags, vegetable soup bags, salted vegetables, seasonings, and mushrooms in the Customs Form 1.

"The results of the inspection conducted by the Customs authorities, in collaboration with the Food Safety Information System of Malaysia (FoSIM) and Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services Department (MAQIS), found 57 other food items that were not declared in the Customs Form 1," he said in a statement today.

Abdul Ghafar said his team arrested a man who was an agent of the company and all the seized goods were handed over to the Ipoh Enforcement Division for further investigation.

He also said that the modus operandi involved the importer making false declarations about the goods in the Customs Form 1, which is the form used for importing goods.

According to Abdul Ghafar, the case is being investigated under Section 135(1)(g) of the Customs Act 1967 and Section 133(1)(a) of the same act.

-- BERNAMA